Today I’m sharing my current Healthy Happiness Habits that are improving my well-being, overall sanity and daily happiness.
This year has been a bit of a whirlwind. Not only having gone through my first and now second trimester, but also lots of travel, being sick frequently, and chasing around a toddler that doesn’t like to sleep. Definitely enough to fill this first half of the year with a lot of stress.
And I’m not going to lie, the beginning part of the year was a rough one. I was definitely not happy. At least not most of the time. The majority of the time I was exhausted, anxious, sad, frustrated and overall unsatisfied.
All of these feelings were not aimed at a person or situation, just overall discontent with everyday life. This is not a fun way to live. And honestly it didn’t make me a fun person to live with.
After a solid week back home (parent’s house) with little social media time, zero blogging, lots of sleeping and mostly me time, I was able to reflect on all of those negative feelings eating me up and decided to do something about it.
Since then I’ve implemented little things here and there that have made all the difference. Some totally premeditated and others happened a bit more organically, but each little change to my daily and weekly routine have had a big impact on day to day life.
Life is crazy. There are always highs and lows. I know that. But at the same time I believe there are ways to look at the bright side even on those lowest of lows. The key is to catch those bad days and try something new instead of getting sucked into the negativity.
Am I 100% happy all the time now? Nope. But I can truthfully say that every day is much more enjoyable and I’m much more motivated to tackle bigger goals without feeling nearly as overwhelmed. So if you ask me, I’d say these little changes are worth it because they make me happier
Everyone is different and what works for me, may not work for you. With that said, I always air on the side of trying new things. Who knows maybe a few of these would make life a bit sunnier for you too 😃
My 11 Healthy Happiness Habits:
This has become one of my new favorite daily habits. I first heard about this journal from a family member who loves it too! A simple little journal with 5 daily questions, 3 completed first thing in the morning and 2 right before bed. It is a truly simple straightforward way to cultivate daily gratitude, focus your day on what truly matters and give yourself a little self-love.
For busy people, this is a journaling habit that can actually be sustained. It takes me 3-5 minutes every day… TOTAL! And personally I like completing my 5 minute journal early in the morning before flipping through my phone, in silence.
It’s time to reflect on life for a minute and to be grateful for the little stuff that actually matters. Having kept this habit up from over 3 months now, I can confidently say that it has made me more grateful about my life and happier about little day to day moment.
- Phone free Fridays
I read about this somewhere (I can’t remember), but essentially it’s a day, any day, without the distraction of your phone. My goal here is to unplug mostly from social media and constant web researching. Its crazy how attached we are to our phones that we feel completely naked without it. I don’t want to feel that way.
After sharing my phone free Friday idea with the hubs, we decided to try it together. Our rules are: 1) phone can only be used to answer phone calls or answer text messages 2) No social media or web searching 3) If you really need to look something up, use a computer instead.
This was surprisingly harder than it seemed, the first 2 Fridays we tried it. But it has gotten easier. And boy does it feel good. Both the hubs and I are much more present and in the moment.
My biggest challenge with this new habit is remembering when it’s Friday!
- Warm lemon water every morning
I have always heard that drinking lemon water is great in the morning but didn’t know why. Basically, it helps with digestion, naturally flushes your body, perks up your immune system, and helps lead to clearer skin.
I truly love this daily ritual. It’s an easy way to start off the morning feeling healthy and alert. Plus I pair it with my 5 Minute Journaling time and it feels like a lovely quiet mama break.
- Don’t pick up the phone when I can’t talk
This seems like a weird one but it really helps me. When I’m running around town, or dealing with a toddler tantrum moment or trying to do 200 things during Poppy’s nap time, I find it stressful to pick up the phone and talk to people. Simple solution here: Just DON’T pick up!
I’ve found that this simple habit of calling someone later, at a better time when I can actually talk is so much better than half paying attention, balancing the phone on my shoulder and hoping the call ends soon. My motto is if it is truly an emergency call, they will leave a message or text me as well.
- Give up complaining
I am not 100% there yet, but am trying really hard on this habit. Mainly I found myself feeling unhappy and negative when I verbally complained about insignificant things, or things that people do or say. It’s funny as much as it sometimes feels great to complain, it ends up making me feel worse afterward because I end up festering about things.
Instead I’ve been trying to look on the bright side every time I feel like complaining about something, or keep my thoughts to myself if I don’t agree with something that someone does. Less complaining = More positive vibes
- Shower slower
This is new a pregnancy mommy habit for me. I’ve always been the type of person that showers quickly and efficiently so that I can get my day going. And since having first child, showers have become quicker and more stressful. Mostly because I feel like I never have time to shower and because my toddler is waiting for me to finish.
Now that I am pregnant, NO MORE. I use my showers as relaxing me time and schedule them while the hubs is around and available to watch our toddler. I take my time, enjoy the steam and use it as time to think and breath. Each shower now feels like a mini spa moment vs an annoying chore.
- Set goals for the year and check in weekly
Being a stay at home mom while growing my own business can feel overwhelming most of the time. Like I never have enough time to do everything I need to do.
But I’ve found that setting simple monthly and yearly goals that I review all the time, keeps me focused and a bit less overwhelmed. It also keeps me from trying to pursue a hundred other ideas that pop up in my head. You know, suppress my scatterbrain tendencies.
- Yoga 1-2 a week
Although this doesn’t seem like a lot, it’s sometimes hard for me to get 1 session in. I am by no means a yogi but I have to say I do love yoga. It always makes me feel calm, centered and strong. Especially while being pregnant, yoga has been an excellent way to stretch my muscles, increase flexibility and build strength in a gentle way. Not to mention it’s totally relaxing. I normally try to keep it to 30 minutes, always use my trusty [amazon text=yoga block&asin=B01JH4J90G] and avoid difficult twists now that I have a belly.
- Take ME breaks
Although this seems like a no-brainer, I have to consciously schedule me time. Too often I use spare moments to clean, cook, run errands, put up toys, work… basically do anything but sitting down and taking a moment to myself.
This is where yoga and slower showers come in too! My daily goal here is to do at least one thing for me a day. And this doesn’t involve my phone or TV. Normally I will flip through a cookbook, talk to a friend on the phone, do some yoga, take a short online course, or simply lay outside on a lawn chair in the sun. AHHHH so peaceful.
- Reach out to at least 1 friend a week
In my case it is often difficult to stay connected with friends either because they have kids and are running a million miles a minute or because they are scattered all over the country. BUT NO EXCUSES! My solution is to check in with at least 1 friend a week. Whether it’s a fun text chain, a coffee date, play date, phone call or even a mid-day email, it all counts. I’ve found this ritual to be one of the most gratifying.
- Be outside as often as possible
This one is normally pretty tough in the winter in Minnesota but the weather is finally changing! Basically I make it a mission to go outside any day that is remotely nice or at least bearable. I pack my kid in the stroller and off we go!
I’ve found that the more time I send outside, the less stressed I am, the more positive I am and the happier I feel. A simple ritual that doesn’t cost a dime and always always always puts me in a wonderful mood.
I hope you are able to try some of these daily and weekly rituals, and find happiness in them as well! Little things truly make a difference for your health, your well-being and overall happiness. So why not give it a try?
If you have daily or weekly rituals that you swear by, leave me a comment as I would love to read them, try them and even add them to this list 😃 Happy Monday everyone!
Originally posted 2017-05-01 10:00:00.
Jennifer says
Valerie says